Johor cops round up 22 mosquito bikers after illegal race

JOHOR BARU: Twenty-two teenagers, including two girls, have been detained by police for taking part in an illegal mosquito bicycle race here yesterday.

The youths, aged between 14 and 17, were nabbed by police during an early morning operation held along Jalan Skudai-Pantai Lido and Jalan Lingkaran Dalam at 3am on April 1.

Johor Baru South police chief Assistant Commissioner Sulaiman Salleh said all 22 teenagers were taken to the Johor Baru South Traffic police station together with 14 modified bicycles.

"They are only part of the mosquito bicycle group. We believe there were around 30 to 40 youths that night," said Sulaiman.

He said the big group of mosquito bicycle riders were spotted riding dangerously on the road and were racing against each other along Jalan Lingkaran Dalam, near the spot where eight cyclists were killed after being rammed by a car on Feb 18.

"The arrests were made after the cyclists refused to disperse after police issued three warnings to them," he said.

"Eight others who were arrested were spectators of the illegal racing.